Understanding the Scriptures
1 Nephi 1
| Mysteries of God (v. 1) | Truths that cannot be understood without revelation from God |
| Numberless concourses (v. 8) | A large assembly |
| Luster (v. 9) | Brightness |
| Bade (v. 11) | Asked, commanded |
| Wo (v. 13) | Sorrow, misery |
| Abominations (vv. 13, 19) | Sins; thoughts and acts that are offensive in the sight of God |
| Suffer (v. 14) | Allow |
| Abridgment (v. 17) | Shortened version |
| Redemption of the world (v. 19) | Deliverance of the world from sin through Christ’s sacrifice |
1 Nephi 1:2—In What Language Did Nephi Write on the Plates?
Nephi referred to the “language of my father” and to the “language of the Egyptians.” Toward the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni described his and his father’s writing as “reformed Egyptian” (Mormon 9:32). “It is unknown whether Nephi, Mormon, or Moroni wrote Hebrew in modified Egyptian characters or inscribed their plates in both the Egyptian language and Egyptian characters or whether Nephi wrote in one language and Mormon and Moroni, who lived some nine hundred years later, in another” (in Daniel H. Ludlow, ed., Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 5 vols. [1992], 1:179).
Sample characters from the Book of Mormon plates
1 Nephi 1:20—What Did Nephi Want to Teach Us?
In verse 20, Nephi told why he recorded the story of his family (see also “Why Did Nephi Write This Book?” on p. 13 of this manual). Watch for examples of this purpose as you read the two books he wrote.
Studying the Scriptures
Do two of the following activities (A–C) as you study 1 Nephi 1.
How Is Your Life Like Nephi’s?
To begin his record, Nephi introduced himself.
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1.
Carefully read 1 Nephi 1:1–3 and find key words and phrases that reveal what Nephi’s life was like. You might want to mark these words in your scriptures. In your notebook, write a sentence or two that summarizes what Nephi told us about himself.
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2.
Explain at least one way in which your life is similar to Nephi’s life.
Find the Pattern
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1.
Search 1 Nephi 1:5–20 and list what happened to Lehi. The following questions will help you find the major points:
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2.
Read the following scripture accounts and list words and phrases that show that other prophets have had experiences similar to the prophet Lehi’s experience: Ezekiel 1:1–3, 26–28; 2; Revelation 10:1–2, 8–11; Joseph Smith—History 1:15–35.
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3.
What does this teach you about the calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith?
Write an Abridgment
Nephi read the record of his father and then made an abridgment, or shortened version, on his own plates. To make his abridgment, Nephi selected those parts that he felt would help us better understand the Savior and His desire to help us. Writing an abridgment is challenging because the person making the abridgment has to decide what to include and what to leave out. Write an abridgment of three verses from 1 Nephi 1, abridging them to one sentence. Write it with the same purpose that Nephi had (see “Why Did Nephi Write This Book?” on p. 13 of this manual).
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